The fastest way to block an email depends on which service you use

On Gmail, open the email, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender]". On Outlook.com, right-click the sender's name and choose "Block". On Apple Mail, select the email and go to Mail > Junk > Block Contact. Most services move blocked emails to spam automatically, though some let you delete them instead. The sender won't be notified that you blocked them.

Blocking stops emails from reaching your inbox, but it does not remove emails already there — you will need to delete those separately. If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them the same way: find the block setting, locate the sender's address in your blocked list, and remove it.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have built-in block features accessible directly from an email or from settings.
  • Blocked emails usually go to spam, but some services let you choose to delete them instead.
  • The sender cannot tell they have been blocked, and blocking does not affect emails already in your inbox.
  • You can unblock a sender at any time by finding them in your blocked list and removing the block.
  • If blocking does not stop unwanted mail, the sender may be using a different address each time, which requires a filter instead.

How to block on Gmail

Open any email from the sender you want to block. In the top right corner, click the three vertical dots (the menu icon). A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Click "Block [sender's name or address]".

Gmail will move that sender's future emails to your spam folder automatically. If you want to see what Gmail is blocking, go to your Spam folder — you can unblock someone from there by opening one of their emails, clicking the three dots, and selecting "Unblock [sender]".

How to block on Outlook.com

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Right-click on the sender's name or email address at the top of the message. A menu will pop up. Select "Block" or "Block sender".

Outlook will send future emails from that address to your Junk folder. To unblock, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), select "View all Outlook settings", then "Mail" > "Junk email". You will see a list of blocked senders. Find the address you want to unblock and click the X next to it.

How to block on Apple Mail

Select the email from the sender you want to block. At the top of your screen, click "Mail" in the menu bar, then hover over "Junk" and select "Block Contact". The sender's future emails will go to your Junk folder.

To unblock on a Mac, go to Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail. Click the "Blocked" tab to see your list of blocked senders. Select the address you want to unblock and click the minus button. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Blocked Contacts to manage your list.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an email address, future emails from that sender go directly to your spam or junk folder instead of your inbox. You will not see a notification when a blocked sender tries to email you. The sender does not receive any message telling them they have been blocked — from their perspective, they straightforward will not know whether you read their email or not.

Blocking only affects new emails. Emails from that sender that are already in your inbox, sent folder, or trash will stay where they are. If you want to remove them, you need to delete them manually or search for all emails from that address and delete them in bulk.

When blocking does not work

If you block someone but keep getting emails that look like they are from them, the sender may be using a different email address each time. Blocking works only on the exact address you block. If someone sends from "john@example.com" one day and "john.smith@example.com" the next, blocking the first address will not stop the second.

In this case, you need a filter instead of a block. Filters let you catch emails based on words in the subject line or sender name rather than an exact address. On Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter, then enter a word or phrase that appears in every unwanted email. On Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Rules and create a rule that moves emails containing certain words to junk.

Blocking versus unsubscribing

Blocking and unsubscribing are different tools for different problems. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list — it tells the sender's system to stop sending you emails. Blocking prevents emails from reaching your inbox but does not tell the sender anything.

If an email has an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom, use that first. It is faster and tells the sender to remove your address from their list. Blocking is better for emails from people you know personally, or for senders who do not have an unsubscribe option. Never click unsubscribe on emails you suspect are phishing or scams — that confirms your address is real and active, which can lead to more unwanted mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. The sender will not receive any notification. Their emails will straightforward go to spam or junk, and they will have no way to know whether you read their message, blocked them, or deleted it. From their end, it looks the same as if you never responded.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them when ready. On Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Blocked addresses and click "Unblock" next to their name. On Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email > Blocked senders and remove them from the list. On Apple Mail, go to Preferences > Junk Mail > Blocked and click the minus button.

Will blocking delete emails already in my inbox?

No. Blocking only affects new emails from that sender. Emails already in your inbox, sent folder, or anywhere else will stay there. You need to find and delete them manually if you want them gone.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Marking an email as spam tells your email service that message is unwanted, which helps train the spam filter for future emails. Blocking an address is more direct — it automatically sends all future emails from that sender to spam without filtering. Both accomplish the same end result, but blocking is faster if you know exactly who you want to stop hearing from.

Can I block an entire domain instead of one email address?

Most email services do not have a built-in block-by-domain feature, but you can create a filter to catch all emails from a domain. On Gmail, create a filter with "from:@example.com" (replace example.com with the domain you want to block). On Outlook, create a rule that blocks emails where the sender's address contains that domain. This catches any address at that domain, not just one person.